Remote-control pumping system.



T. F. MULLIGAN.

REMOTE CONTROL PUMPING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 23,1911.

Patented Mar. 111, 1916.

UNTTED STATES PATENT Fries.

THOMAS F. MULLIG-AN, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO S. F. BOWSER & COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA, A CORPORATION F INDIANA.

REMOTE-CONTROL PUMPING SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 1a, 191e.

Application led october 23, 1911. Serial No. 656,113.

` trol VPumping Systems, of which the'followin "is a specification.

his vinvention relates to a pumping systern in which a valve to control the supply pipe is situated at a place remote f rom the pump which supplies fluid to the pipe, and the present exempliication of the invention is described as employing an electrlc motor to operate the pump. i

The principal object of this inventlon 1s to provide means whereby the motor and pump may be stopped While the valve is still open, and to shut off the pump before lthe valve is completely closed, thus avoidmg ramming in the discharge pipe.

A further object is to provide an 1mproved, simple, effective and eflicient system of the class described forcontrollinga supply of iiuid at the point where the luld supply is discharged.

For the attainment accomplishment of other new and useful objects as will appear, this invention conslsts inthe features of novelty in the construction, co-mbination and arrangement of the several parts generally shown in the accompanying drawing and described 1n the ,spec1 ncation, but more fully pointed out 1n the appended claims.

In the drawing, Figure 1 illustratesa sysf tem embodying the principles ofhmy invention,l and'F-ig. 2 is a detailed view partly in section of a. motor'controlling swltch and thel means for operating the same.

It has become the practice lto employ motor driven pumps .for supplying fluid at a distant point, and if the pump is not stopped before the valve at the distance point. 1s closed, there will be a ramming in the plpe which may cause leakage in the pipe or which may throw such a load upon the motor that it will be stopped and serious damage be .done to the mo-tor armature. r This invention had forits object to provide means for operating the motor whereby it will be stopped before the valve 1s closed, and will be started after the valve is opened.

Referring more particularly tothe draw-A ing, the motor M 1s directly connected to n of these -ends andl the pump P, and extending from the pumpfis' a discharge line 10. -In thisdischarge line 10 there is located a valve V which may hu of any suitable or desired construction, but; preferably is of the class in which the valve stem 11 is rotated to produce the opening' and closing of the valve 12. Suitably positioned upon the valve and in the present eX- I emplification of the invention adjacentthe vtop of the valve stem, is a stationary and adjustable switch holding device 13, which is adapted to provide asuppo-rt for the switch S. This switch S may be of any desired or suitable construction, but is preferably of ai type in' which electrical contact is made and broken between two terminals by means of push buttons.' In the present eXempliticationV of the invention, a switch constructed as shown in Fig. 2, will answer the purpose. In this switch a contact bar 14 ispivotally mounted andadapted to make and break connection between terminals 15 and 16,

.which in turn are connected totheconductors v17 and, 18 respectively. Push buttons` Y 19 and 20 areV adapted to engage the bar 14, and to cause itto make and break connections with .the terminals accordingly, as one or the other of them is pushed. These push buttons 19 and 20 are disposed 'adja- V `cent to the valve stem 11, and a segment 21 1s pivotally mounted upon Ithe supporting device 13 so that it willengage both of the push buttons 19 and 20. This segment 21 is i provided with a groove or hollowed out portion 22` in which a pin 23 attached to the hand wheel or other suitable rotating part of -the valve stem, is adapted to engage. It will be seen that as the pin vengages the groove, the-push buttons will be moved in accordance with the-movement of the pin, resulting in the opening or closing of a circ uit between the terminals 15 and 16. vThe wires orconductors 17 and 18 are connected one to the'negative source of current' supply, and the other through a magnet relay 24 to the positive source of supply.

The magnet relay 24 controls a starting device which may be represented as shown in Fig. 1. A pivoted lever 25 is provided with a bar 26 at one vend which is attracted by the magnet.. The other end of the bar is adapted to pass over the contacts 27 between which is the starting resistance 28. A conductor 29 forms a connection between the last contact and one terminal of the motor,

and the other terminal of the motor is connected to the negative main by the conductor 30. The lever is connected to the positive main by the conductor 18. t

To operate the motor and the pump, th valve is first turned until the switch is closed, which closes a circuit through the magnet-relay, thereby causing the magnet to be energized and the bar 26 to be drawn up. The arm of the lever 25 is moved over the contacts from the stop position shown in Vdotted outline in Fig. l, which completes an energizing circuit to the motor. As soon as the switch is opened, by the operation of the valve hand Wheel, the energizing current for the magnet relayr is broken 'and the Weight of the bar 26 is suici'ent to return the lever 25.to the dotted stop position.y

In the present exempliication of the invention, the switch S is so positioned, that the movement of the hand-wheel to close the valve, will etfect the breaking of thecircuit connection in the switch Ias .soon as the closingmovement is started, or at least beforethe valve is entirely closed., and in the other direction or rotation of the handwheel, the switch is operated to-close the circuit connections at or about the time when the valve is completely open. From this it will be evident thatthe motor will not receive current at any time when the valve is closed, and consequently, there can be no action of the pump in the discharge pipe 10, I because the pump is connected to the motor` 7' and the motor is stopped before the valve is closed, and isv started aiter the valve is opened. 'Y

It is also evident that by having the sup-- port 13 adjustable above the valve, the

points of opening and closing the switch may be varied as desired.

invano When the current requiredto'operate the motor is small in amount, the starting de.

vice may be dispensed with and the motor circuit from the mains may be closed and opened by the switch. v

I desire not to be limited to any particular construction of valves, switches, pumps or motors, as it is evident that these devices may be of any well known construction..

Vhat I claim is:

1. A remote control pumping system comprising an electric motor, a pump connected thereto, a discharge line-from the pump, an electric switch connected in series 'with the motor, and a valve with a rotary stem Jfor opening and closing the discharge line with a projection to operate the switch to close the motor circuit just before the valve is en-` tirely open and to open the motor circuit when the valve starts to close, `thereby insuring that the Valve is open whenever the motor and pump are in operation..

2. A remote control pumping system comprising an electric motor, a pump connected thereto, a discharge line Jfrom. the pump, a positively operated electric switch for controlling the motor, a valve with a rotary stem for opening and closing the discharge line, and a stop in connection with the rotary stem to positively close the switch just before the Valve is entirely open and to positively open the switch at the initial closing movement of the valve.

In testimony whereof I have signed my glo 

